The present disclosure concerns medical devices and methods useful for vertebroplasty and other medical injections.
As further background, during vertebroplasty procedures, bone cement is injected under high pressure into a compromised vertebral body to stabilize it. Excessive injection pressure can contribute to fracturing already weakened vertebrae that could cause bone fragments to impinge upon nerves or blood vessels.
During vertebroplasty procedures, an extension tube may be used to keep the interventionalist out of the x-ray field. This extension tube can be connected between the intraosseous needle or catheter in the vertebral body and the high-pressure injection mechanism controlled by the interventionalist (outside of the x-ray field).
It can be difficult to monitor the pressure in the injection apparatus because the cement used in vertebroplasty procedures is constantly in the process of setting-up, leaving only a few minutes to complete an injection, potentially with varying injection pressure requirements over time as the cement sets-up. Dead-end pressure indicators such as gages may not accurately portray the pressures exerted by viscous cement as it starts to set-up. Conversely, the extension tube is generally exposed to the same pressure fluctuations as the viscous cement passing therethrough.
Needs exist for improved or alternative medical devices for monitoring injection pressure in vertebroplasty and other medical procedures to ensure that injection pressures do not become excessive.